OTC healing ointment improves dry skin, surgical wounds

Key takeaways:

• Cetaphil Healing Ointment (Galderma Laboratories) contains petrolatum, shea butter and vitamin E.
• Within 4 weeks, the formula significantly reduced dry skin and promoted wound healing.

Over-the-counter healing ointment was safe and effective for treating dry, itchy skin and surgical wounds from dermatologic procedures, according to a study.

“Dry skin — leading to a scaly and flaky appearance — is not only common but is also frequently exacerbated by factors such as frequent cleanings and/or use of harsh cleansers and low relative environmental humidity that can have an additive effect on loss of skin hydration,” Aaron S. Farberg, MD, dermatologist and micrographic dermatologist surgeon at Baylor Scott & White Health System and chief medical officer of Bare Dermatology, and colleagues wrote. “Moisturizers and ointments, often over-the-counter products, have long been a mainstay for the treatment of dry, cracked skin and have been shown to have therapeutic benefits.”

According to the authors, Cetaphil Healing Ointment (Galderma Laboratories) is an ideal, multi-functional OTC skin protectant that can address dry skin and accompanying pruritus. The healing ointment, containing petrolatum, shea butter and vitamin E, was evaluated in two studies for its utility in healing dry skin and wounds.

The first study, which was a single-center, 4-week trial comprised of 39 adults with dry, cracked skin, found that after 1 week of use, the healing ointment significantly reduced skin dryness (P < .05). By week 4, the mean dryness score had decreased from 7.33 at baseline to 5.34.

More than 90% of subjects reported a noticeable decrease in dryness and fissuring and increased softness, hydration and smoothness by week 4.

In the second study, 15 patients with surgical wounds from dermatologic procedures applied the healing ointment twice daily for 28 days. By the end of the study, mean scores for erythema were reduced from 0.83 at baseline to 0.29. Edema scores also decreased 0.5 at immediate post-procedure baseline to 0 by day 7. Overall, wound appearance significantly improved (P < .05) with 100% of subjects reporting that the healing ointment helped the wound heal effectively.

No adverse events were reported in either study, positioning the product as an effective and safe treatment for sensitive skin.